


By The Milk

by ssswampert



Category: RWBY
Genre: Domesticity, Grocery Shopping, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 12:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8014813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssswampert/pseuds/ssswampert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Instant noodles are garbage no matter how you cook them,” James says, tone flat. “You aren't a broke bachelor, you don't have to eat like one.” Qrow huffs and puts the noodles back on the shelf.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By The Milk

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate title: Grocery Grumps
> 
> "Imagine them shopping. Not together shopping, or couple shopping, but arguing over prices. Person A picking out the most ridiculous things and person B rolling their eyes, and then person B getting like some healthy vegetable bag or something and person A getting grossed out by it."

“Qrow,” James says, half exasperated. “We're supposed to be getting real food groceries, not garbage.” He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Qrow gasps and clutches the bag of instant noodles to his chest. “This isn't garbage if you cook it right, Jimmy!” he protests. “ _ And _ it's three Lien for a package of twelve!” He starts to set the bag in the cart, then hesitates at James' look.

“Instant noodles are garbage no matter how you cook them,” James says, tone flat. “You aren't a broke bachelor, you don't have to eat like one.” Qrow huffs and puts the noodles back on the shelf. “If you really want noodles like that then we'll go to the other store to get real ones, not the instant kind.”

“Fine,” Qrow relents, dragging the word out. “We'll get real grown man food that takes more time to make.”

“Stop acting like a child,” James says absently, glancing back down at his list and ignoring the annoyed noise Qrow makes. “Are you sure we need this brand?” He looks up from the list to squint at another shelf. “It's… expensive for chicken stock.”

“It's all natural and locally made and packaged in Patch,” Qrow replies, picking up a box. “After only having this brand for years, nothing else tastes right. Plus, if we cook something with chicken stock in it for Ruby and Yang, I mean since you want to make them dinner at some point anyways, Ruby will know the difference between this and generic immediately. And if it isn't this brand she won't like it. And if she doesn't like it then Yang won't eat it either.”

“Ah,” James says, taking the box from Qrow and setting it in the cart. “That makes sense.”

“Of course it does. I know my nieces.” Qrow picks the pen from behind his ear and takes the list from James. “Why do we need shrimp?” He wrinkles his nose

“Because I like it.” James reaches for the shopping list and frowns when Qrow ducks out of his reach and scribbles on the list. “What are you marking out?” he asks.

“I'm marking out what we just put in the basket, dear,” Qrow says, somewhat snide. “I wouldn't erroneously cross off the wrong thing so we don't buy it.”

“You would, though,” James replies. “You did last time. This is why I go shopping alone.” He leans his weight onto the handlebar of the cart. “What's actually next, Qrow?”

“Salt, but we really don't need it because I found more in the other cabinet this morning.” Qrow marks it out. “Coffee creamer?” He gestures with the pen and then sticks it between his teeth. “That’d be over there. Milk and butter are over there too.”

“Isn't seafood also over there?” James says, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

Qrow starts walking. “Well, probably, but who cares? Not me.” James rolls his eyes, but follows anyways. “Did we already pass by the bread?”

“Yes,” James says, “That was in one of the first aisles. We'll have to go all the way back to get it.”

Qrow waves him away. “We're going back that way later, we'll just get it then. Who put this store together anyways? Shit’s confusing. I'm lost.”

“Turn left,” James instructs. “And no, we don't need any of the breakfast cereal on the next aisle.”

“What else am I going to eat for breakfast, Jim? Eggs and bacon and toast and orange slices?” Qrow whines.

“That's an option,” James says. “Stop putting my pen in your mouth. I take that one to work.” Qrow sticks the pen further into his mouth instead and reaches out for a box on an endcap. “What is that?” James asks, leaning.

“Fruit gummies,” Qrow replies, tossing the brightly colored box into the cart. “Ruby likes the texture of these ones.”

“I have never seen her eat those,” James says, frowning again.

“You hardly ever see her,” Qrow counters. James raises an eyebrow. “So what if I like them too.” Qrow wanders ahead, posture nonchalant. James sighs and speeds up.

“I never said to put them back.” He motions, and then glances down each aisle they pass.

“I didn’t.” Qrow pulls the pen out of his mouth and drums it against the list. James has to fight the urge to snatch both items out of Qrow’s hands just to get the sound of the pen hitting a single sheet of paper to stop.

“We need this one.” James points, and then turns the cart. Behind him he hears Qrow mimic him and holds in a sigh.

They just had to get through this one shopping trip. Just this one shopping trip. And then things would go back to normal. Shopping together was supposed to be a bonding experience, wasn’t it? Qrow had mentioned that they hadn’t been doing anything together, and brought to James’ attention that he was upset by it--that he felt left out, ignored, hurt by it--so James was trying to fix it.

Maybe he was going about this the wrong way.

Maybe Qrow had wanted dates and affection, not domestic activities while both of them were still tense and snappish from their argument the day before.

He sighs and rubs at his temple.

“What?” Qrow snips, just to his left. “Thinkin’ about going home?”

“Honestly, yes.” James drops his hand. “We could just start this over. I could go shopping another day.”

Qrow scoffs. “Yeah, go without me, right? Shopping alone, like you always do.”

“Do you want to do this here, Qrow?” James tightens his grip on the shopping cart. “Do you really want to have an argument about this in the middle of the refrigerated food section of a mass chain grocery store? Can it wait until we get home?” he hisses.

“At this point? No. It can't wait.” Qrow says, nose wrinkling. "It's waited long enough."

“But we talked about this yesterday,” James starts to protest.

“Not enough,” Qrow retorts, cutting him off. “You were  _ working _ . While we ‘talked’ about it.”

James doesn’t have to look at Qrow to know he’s sneering. “Can we at least move from in front of the milk first?”

“So you can avoid this again or pay attention to something else? Nah,” Qrow says.

“This is about attention again?” James knows as soon as the words leave his mouth they’re the wrong words to say.

“Again?” Qrow snarls. “What do you mean  _ again _ ? You think that just because we talked about this once while you barely paid attention in the first place that right now counts as  _ again _ ?”

“Qrow, I’m trying to include you in more things,” James says quickly, trying to tone down the argument before Qrow explodes. “Like this, for example, and--”

“Oh,  _ yeah _ , because  _ grocery shopping _ is romantic and sweet.” Qrow waves a hand. “God, if this is as romantic as you get, what the  _ hell _ did I sign up for?”

“It can be romantic,” James says. “Qrow, I’m sorry that you feel like I’ve been ignoring you. That has never been my intention. I could give you every single one of my normal excuses but I know you won’t take any of them right now.”

“You’re fucking right I won’t.” Qrow snaps open the cooler and yanks out a gallon jug of milk. “You’re married to your work, I understand that. And you’ve got to take care of Penny now, I get that too. I’m the same way. But I’d like some honest to god affection and attention from my fucking boyfriend instead of a half-assed kiss on the forehead and a  _ love you honey _ as you finish paperwork. I’m tired of that, James.”

He slams the milk into the basket and takes a few steps down the aisle to the coffee creamer. James follows, cowed. “I had no idea you felt that way,” he says.

“Of course you didn’t,” Qrow replies, looking over creamer flavors. He picks out a bottle and sticks it in the cart. “You didn’t pay attention.”

“I’m sorry,” James says again, frowning. “I’ve been way too inattentive lately and I’ll do what I can to make up for it, I promise. I love you, Qrow.”

There must be something in his voice or the way he said it that makes Qrow’s shoulders drop. “I love you, too,” he says, softening. “I shouldn’t be this mad about this.”

“You have every right to be,” James replies. Qrow comes around the cart and leans against James’ side. “Can we talk about this more at home?” he asks. “I would like to work this out with you to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future.”

“Yeah,” Qrow says. “Let’s get this done first.” He stretches up and kisses James square on the mouth, then glances down at the list. “What’s next?”   


“We still do need shrimp,” James says.

Qrow wrinkles his nose. “Why?”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me [on tumblr!](http://avpdjaunearc.tumblr.com)
> 
> Comments are love. ♥


End file.
